Seven Heavens
Seven Heavens is a part of religious cosmology found in many major religions such as Islam, Judaism and Hinduism and in some minor religions such as Hermeticism and Gnosticism. The Throne of God is said to be above the seventh heaven in Abrahamic religions. The Afterworld The other side (the spirit world) consists of many regions. The most well-known concept is that of seven heavens. When we die, we first come to the lower astral world. In Yoga, this is considered part of the earth and named Bhurloka. The second heaven is the middle astral world. The souls can move about the entire cosmos. They can go to the region of stars. Every star has a different sort of energy, and every soul can settle itself in the realm of a star. They can meet similar souls in this region. The fourth heaven is the world of positive souls. They have a positive system of beliefs. They follow love, peace, and truth. They are not totally enlightened in that they still have strong egos. But they can control the negative tendencies of their spirits and concentrate on positive. The fifth heaven is the first world of light. This light world is a paradise. In paradise, souls live in a state of enlightenment. One can only get to this paradise by being happy with oneself. It is helpful to exercise spiritual practices. The main technique for entrance into the world of light is the disintegration of the ego. The souls in paradise live in a state of love and the giving of love. They are not egoistic, rather altruistic. The sixth heaven is the world of the holy. In the seventh heaven, all outer forms cease to be. The soul rests still within God. Love, happiness, and peace in the seventh heaven are so big that there is no more room for movement. The holy beings here are simply enjoy their rest within God. * The eighth heaven is found above the seven heavens. It is everything in one, the connection of light and love in one dynamic, unified entity. It is life in light and the ability to affect in the lower worlds (earth and the astral world). When we allow our happiness and enlightened bliss to permeate beyond the world of light, the happiness grows. The further we succeed in dissolving the ego, the more expansive is our level of happiness. If we live for the happiness of others, rather than our own happiness, we then become a kind of cosmic mother or father of all beings. God exists in essence as a mother and a father of all beings. He or she wants all beings to come to live in happiness and to come to the seventh heaven one day. This ist the way of a spiritual master. A spiritual master devotes his or her life to the service of others. Who wants to live as a spiritual master, should first of all even walk the spiritual path to the destination. Or he should practice a dual path. He should make himself spiritually to the target and simultaneously take all of his fellow men. Both ways are possible in yoga. One can live many years as a yogi first and then return after his enlightenment in the world in order to help his fellow human beings. Or you live simultaneously as a yogi and a Karma-yogi (spiritual teacher). Who lives in the eighth heaven, lives in the ultimate double happiness. One lives in the light (in God) and additionally in the dimension of love. But this way is to go even harder than the normal spiritual path. It requires much wisdom, if you want to help the many souls in the cosmos. One often has to take grief into account, in order to lead his fellows well on the way into the light. A spiritual master takes it into stride by bringing all the elements into balance within. The inner calm is achieved through outer peace in the form of time for oneself, spiritual exercises and trust in God. He deliveres essentially the leadership of the great masters and the spontaneous activity of life. The path of love is a mystery. He feels like a way of sacrifice and ends in the overall happiness. One day, suddenly starts to flow the inner happiness and fills the whole world. The Way of Wisdom and Love Ulla: I just talked with a girlfriend about the difficult subject of pity and compassion. Nils: Compassion is an important spiritual quality. Ulla: Her sister always makes the same mistake again, to take the same kind of man that is not doing her well. Nils: Learning from mistakes is good. This creates wisdom. Ulla: My girlfriend empathizes too much with her sister. Nils: Man / woman must be able to delimit oneself from the suffering of others. Otherwise one gets broken. Ulla: Compassion is good. Pain is not good. Nils: I do not like to separate between compassion and pity. I also sometimes suffer with the suffering people. But I can always rebuild myself and bring me into the inner balance. Ulla: Some things cannot be solved. This must be recognized. Nils: It is not good for anyone if you get sick out of compassion. Ulla: Right! Nils: Formerly I could not delimit well enough from the suffering of others. A wife in my positive thinking group had cancer. I was very taken. Ulla: I understand that. So is my girlfriend now. Nils: It's an art to maintain the right balance. I manage it through meditation and positive thinking. It is important always listen to your inner voice. I call it the voice of wisdom. Wisdom to me is the connection between mind and inner feelings. It is important to me always to be in good contact with myself. The Sermon on the Mount *'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' *'Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.' *'Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.' *'Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.' *'Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.' *'Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.' *'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.' Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Jesus meant „poor“ in terms of the inner self, and not the outer self. Outer poverty does not lead automatically to inner happines. Those who let go of outer attachments, can simply exist and find a way to inner contentment in God. Suffering in and of itself does not lead to happiness. However, those who can take suffering in their lives and raise themselves through spiritual exercises, can find solace in inner peace. Mourning can help to let go, but one should not allow the self to be overwhelmed by grief. Grief is not the center of life, rather inner peace. Those who can greet their fellow beings with non-violence and placidity, can live in a relaxed and peaceful way and relinquish into a cosmic consciousness. Those who are at peace with all things, are at peace with themselves. Justice means correctness in the Bible. To long for a correct life, means to long for a life in the light. Those who long for happiness and search for it in the right places will receive it one day, in the form of inner peace. Those full of empathy, will feel with the cosmos. Those who love their enemies will experience inner harmony. Those who experience the center of their existence as a love for all other beings will be rewarded by God with an all-encompassing love, peace, and inner happiness. To dissolve inner tension, exercises for the body are required (going, meditation) and exercises for the spirit (reading, thought exercises). Those who exercise spiritually every day will reach a lasting happiness one day. Then one day the meaning of God will be found. Those who let go of the ego, come into the light. Without a sacrifice, the breakthrough to enlightenment cannot be made. Those who live according to these teachings and therefore experience difficulty in their daily lives, provide the basis for such a spiritual sacrifice. To let go in a spiritual manner is an art. Those who do not go about this the right way create inner tension and conflict. We should not sacrifice too little or too much. Those who go about this the right way will be rid of their inner conflict. A peacemaker is a person who makes peace within the self and the world. Those who are enlightened can be called holy, a son or daughter of God. Those who live in peace radiate peace into the world. The central message of Jesus’ Mount Sermon is that a person cannot serve two lords. He cannot serve God (inner happiness) and money (the outer form of “happiness”). One has to decide for him or herself as to what form of happiness he or she will seek to attain. As a wise person, one must place the way of peace, serenity, love, and spiritual exercises as the central point of existence. In this way, he or she will one day find true happiness and live in the light. The Lord´s Prayer To have a powerful effect, we should speak or think the prayer how it fits us best. We should interpret the images so that they are helpful to us. We can formulate the sentences of the Lord's Prayer in our own words. This can help us to come better into contact with the energy of the prayer. The Pater Noster picture divides the Lord's Prayer in eight areas. 1.Our Father in heaven, (We visualize God as a light or a person in heaven above our crown chakra.) 2.hallowed be your name, (We imagine a beautiful melody to our image of God.) 3.your kingdom come, (We recognize our world as a paradise.) 4.your will be done, on earth as in heaven. (We take all things in our lives as they are.) 5.Give us today our daily bread. (We are grateful for everything positive in our lives.) 6.Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. (What do you want to forgive your fellow man or God / your life today?) 7.Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. (What false desires you want to let go of today?) 8.For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen. (Feel the power and the light of your spiritual role model flowing into you and filling you. Think Amen as long until you are one with the power of Jesus or God. Move one hand and send the light with the mantra Amen to all beings on earth. So you will come fully into the light.) Paradise Meditation 1. The Body = We concentrate on our bodies and through this process bring the spirit into a state of peace. We sense this through our legs and feet as we let the light circulate through our lower limbs. We think of the word “light” as our mantra. We let the light then circulate through our arms and hands while envisioning the word “light”. We then wrap our entire bodies in a vision of light and think of the word at the same time. Then we relax. We begin our ascent to heaven. First we enter the astral world. We become a soul. We then visualize a cloud composed of very fine energy which encircles the body. We are this cloud. We concentrate on the cloud and not our bodies. We leave the body and think of the mantra “I am a cloud. I am a soul. I am independent from my body.” We think of this mantra until we can feel this cloud. 2. Stars = We visualize the entire cosmos around us as full of stars. Our souls can travel anywhere they so desire. We meditate on the cosmos. We think of the mantra “stars”. We make large circles with the arms until we feel at one with the cosmos. We feel secure with our place in the world, we are at one with the world. 3. The World of Positive Souls = We land in the upper astral world, beyond the material cosmos. This is the world of positive souls. We become positive unto ourselves. We consider the positive points in our lives. We think of the mantra “Positive in my life is...” We count as many positive things as possible, until the soul is glowing with positivity. 4. The World of Happy Souls = Over the positive souls are the blessed souls. We are now in paradise. We imagine that all our wishes have been fulfilled. What do you wish? Fulfill them or let go of them here. Define the point where you have reached enough. Create contentment with your life. “My way to contentment is...” 5. The World of the Holy = Above the world of the happy souls lies the world of the enlightened. We become sons and daughters of God, Gods and Goddesses, enlightened Buddhas. We wish for a happy world. We envision the following: “I send light to... May all people be happy. May the world be a happy world.” 6. The Great Transformation = We move our hand to bless the entire cosmos with love and light. We move light into all areas of suffering. We send all suffering beings light. We surround them with light and think of the mantra “I send light to all suffering beings”. We think of all the problems in our lives and surround these problems with light. We integrate our problems into our life. We become masters of our lives. We surround all our life’s situations with light. 7. Seventh Heaven = We come to the seventh heaven. We visualize a sun with strong energy composed of peace, love and happiness. The hands lay relaxed in the lap. We think of the mantra,' “Om sun, peace, love, happiness, living in the light.“' We fill our souls with peace, love, happiness and light, and rest in the light of God (in bliss, in the enlightenment energy). 8. God = We connect ourselves with God (the enlightened Masters). We rub the palms of our hands in front of the heart chakra and think, "Om God (Angels, Jesus). Om inner wisdom. Please guide me and help me on my way.” Meditation of Love and Peace The most important thing in spirituality is the inner voice. The inner voice is the voice of your own truth and wisdom. It is your feeling of rightness. You combine your intellect and your feeling. Follow the five features truth, peace, love, selfdiscipline and happiness. Than you will find your way into the light. 1. Light = We send light to the world. We visualize the earth, move a hand and think: "I send light to ... May all people be happy. May the world be happy." 2. Cosmos = We visualize the cosmos around us, a universe full of stars. We make large circles with our arms and think: "I take things the way they are. I let go of my false desires. I flow positive with my live." 3. God = We rub the palms in front of the heart chakra. We connect us with God (Jesus, our enlightened Master) and think: '''"Om Jesus (God, light). Om inner wisdom. I ask for guidance and help on my way." 4. Question = Think about your life. What are your goals? What is your way of a wise life? What does your inner wisdom say? "My way of wisdom is... Unwisdom is..." 5. Be optimistic = "My positive sentence is..." Optimism. Forward. Success. God #What is God #Existence of God #What is Enlightenment #God and Enlightenment #God and Quantum Physics #Afterlife #Paradise #Christianity #Religious Toleration #Discussion about God See also *Angel oracle *Prayer *Desert Fathers =Wikipedia:= In religious or mythological cosmology, the seven heavens refer to seven layers of the sky. These were associated in ancient times both with the metaphysical realms of deities and with observed celestial bodies such as the classical planets and fixed stars. The concept, derived from ancient Mesopotamian religions, can be found in the Abrahamic religions such as Islam, Judaism and Christianity; a similar concept is also found in some Indian religions such as Hinduism.[[Origen], De principiis III,2,1] Some of these traditions, including Jainism, also have a concept of seven earths or seven underworlds or may be seven climate zones. The number seven corresponds to the seven classical planets known to antiquity. Ancient observers noticed that these objects moved at different paces in the sky both from each other and from the fixed stars beyond them: Mercury, Venus, the Moon, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Unlike comets, which appeared in the sky with no warning, they did move in regular patterns that could be predicted. They also observed that objects in the sky influenced objects on earth, as when movements of the sun affect the behavior of plants or movements of the moon affect ocean tides. While others believe the seven heavens are located to seven stars of big dipper according to ancient western astrology. Observations like these led to the development of geocentric cosmologies: earth-centered ideas about the structure of the universe. In some cultures the layers, or "heavens", in the sky were understood as vast spheres. Each rotated around the earth at its own pace, taking its associated point of light, and any associated heavenly beings, along. Speculation spread about the effect all celestial objects--not only the sun and moon, but other points of light such as Mars, Jupiter, and fixed stars--might exercise over earthly events. Stories and symbolic associations followed. Mesopotamian religion The concept of seven heavens as developed in ancient Mesopotamia symbolised both physical and metaphysical concepts. In the Sumerian language, the words for heaven (or sky) and earth are An and Ki. Sumerian incantations of the late second millennium BCE make references to seven heavens and seven earths. One such incantation is: "an-imin-bi ki-imin-bi" (the heavens are seven, the earths are seven.) The understanding that the heavens can influence things on earth lent heavenly, magical properties to the number seven itself, as in stories of seven demons, seven churches, seven spirits, or seven thrones. The number seven appears frequently in Babylonian magical rituals. The seven Jewish and the seven Islamic heavens may have had their origin in Babylonian astronomy. In general, heaven is not a place for humans in Mesopotamian religion. As Gilgamesh says to his friend Enkidu, in the Epic of Gilgamesh: "Who can go up to heaven, my friend? Only the gods dwell with Shamash forever". Along with the idea of seven heavens, the idea of three heavens was also common in ancient Mesopotamia. Islam The Qur'an frequently mentions the existence of seven samaawat (سماوات), plural of samaa'a (سماء), which is customarily translated as 'heaven'. The word is cognate to Hebrew shamayim (שמים). Some of the verses in which Qur'an mentions seven samaawat, are , , . There are two interpretations of using the number "seven". One viewpoint is that the number "seven" here simply means "many" and is not to be taken literally (the number 7 is often used to imply that in the Arabic language)."What Is Meant By ‘Seven Heavens’?," Al-Islam.org But many other commentators use the number 7 literally. One interpretation of "heavens" is that all the stars and galaxies (including the Milky Way) are all part of the "first heaven", and "beyond that six still bigger worlds are there," which have yet to be discovered by scientists. In other sources, the concept is presented in metaphorical terms. Each of the seven heavens is depicted as being composed of a different material, and Islamic prophets are resident in each. The first heaven is depicted as being made of silver and is the home of Adam and Eve, as well as the angels of each star. The second heaven is depicted as being made of gold and is the home of John the Baptist and Jesus. The third heaven is depicted as being made of pearls or other dazzling stones; Joseph and Azrael are resident there. The fourth heaven is depicted as being made of white gold; Enoch and the Angel of Tears resides there. The fifth heaven is depicted as being made of silver; Aaron and the Avenging Angel hold court over this heaven. The sixth heaven is composed of garnets and rubies; Moses can be found here. The seventh heaven, which borrows some concepts from its Jewish counterpart, is depicted as being composed of divine light incomprehensible to the mortal man. Abraham is a resident of the seventh heaven. According to some hadiths, the highest level of Jannah is firdaws, and Sidrat al-Muntaha, a Lote tree, marks the end of the seventh heaven. According to Shi'ite sources, A Hadith from Imam Ali mentioned the name of Seven Heavens as below:Al-Burhan fi Tafsir Al-Qur'an V.5 P.415 #'Rafi'' (رفیع) the least heaven (سماء الدنیا) #'Qaydum' (قیدوم) #'Marum' (ماروم) #'Arfalun' (أرفلون) #'Hay'oun' (هيعون) #'Arous' (عروس) #'Ajma'' (عجماء) Judaism According to the Talmud, the universe is made of seven heavens (Shamayim) #'Vilon' (וילון), Also see ( ) #'Raki'a' (רקיע), Also see ( ) #'Shehaqim' (שחקים), See ( , Midr. Teh. to Ps. xix. 7) #'Zebul' (זבול), See ( , ) #'Ma'on' (מעון), See ( , ) #'Machon' (מכון), See ( , ) #'Araboth' (ערבות), The seventh Heaven where ofanim, the seraphim, and the hayyoth and the throne of the Lord are located. The Jewish Merkavah and Heichalot literature was devoted to discussing the details of these heavens, sometimes in connection with traditions relating to Enoch, such as the Third Book of Enoch. Christianity An explicit reference to the Third Heaven appears in the Christian New Testament canon. A Pauline epistle, penned in Macedonia around 55CE, describes this mystical experience: I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows—was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. (2 Corinthians 12.2–4 NRSV) The description is usually taken as an oblique reference by the author to himself. The passage appears to reflect first-century beliefs among Jews and Christians that the realm of Paradise existed in a different heaven than the highest one--an impression that may find support in the original Greek wording (closer to "caught away" than "caught up").E. W. Bullinger A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek "2, 14, To this "Third heaven" and "Paradise" Paul was caught away, 2 Cor. xii. 2, 4, (not "up", see under "catch") in "visions and revelations of the Lord", 2 Cor. xii. 1. One catching away—with a double revelation of the New heaven and the..." In the second century, Irenaeus also knows seven heavens (see his Demonstration of Apostolic Preaching 9; cf. Against Heresies 1.5.2). Over the course of the middle ages Christian thinkers expanded the ancient Mesopotamian seven-heaven model into a system of ten heavens. This cosmology, taught in the first European universities by the Scholastics, reached its supreme literary expression in The Divine Comedy by Dante Aligheri. Apocryphal Text The Second Book of Enoch, also written in the first century CE, describes the mystical ascent of the patriarch Enoch through a hierarchy of Ten Heavens. Enoch passes through the Garden of Eden in the Third Heaven on his way to meet the Lord face-to-face in the Tenth (chapter 22). Along the way he encounters vividly described populations of angels who torment wrongdoers; he sees homes, olive oil, and flowers. The book's depiction of ten heavens represented an expansion of the ancient seven-heaven model. This expanded cosmology was developed further in medieval Christianity. Hinduism According to some Puranas, the Brahmanda is divided into fourteen worlds. Among these worlds, seven are upper worlds which constitute of Bhuloka (the Earth), Bhuvarloka, Svarloka, Maharloka, Janarloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka, and seven are lower worlds which constitute of Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala and Patala. Seven-level underworlds * According to Jain cosmology, there are seven levels of Naraka or hell. These are further divided into 8,400,000 other hellish locations. * Inanna visited the Sumerian seven-gated underworld. See also * Empyrean * Garden of the gods (Sumerian paradise) * Hermetism and other religions * Hierarchy of angels * Isra and Mi'raj * Jewish angelic hierarchy * Loka * Ogdoad * Seven Logas * Third Heaven Notes References * Davidson, Gustav. Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels. New York: The Free Press, 1967 (reprinted 1994). . * Ginzberg, Louis. Henrietta Szold (trans.). The Legends of the Jews. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1909–1938. . External links * Higher Devachanic or Seven Heavenly Spheres Category: Religion Category:Afterlife places Category:Christian terminology Category:Conceptions of heaven Category:Heaven Category:Hindu cosmology Category:Islamic mysticism Category:Islamic terminology Category:Islamic cosmology Category:Jewish mysticism Category:Mythological cosmologies Category:Religious cosmologies